Improvement of Wine Quality: Tannin and Polymeric Pigment Chemistry

Accomplished Objectives (06/2012-01/2013)

Upon receipt of funding experimental design was finalized and a strategy for implementation was refined. Appropriate grape varieties were selected for winemaking. Meanwhile, instrumentation needs were satisfied and preliminary cocoa, preveraison skin, grapeseed extracts, and fractionated young wine samples were obtained. We are 4 months into the practical and laboratory experimentation portion of the project which began with September’s harvest. At the end of September and into the beginning of October fruit was harvested from the UC Davis Oakville Research vineyard. Production progressed through December with bottling January 28, 2013. Upon completion of secondary fermentation, instrument training, method development, and data acquisition took place.